Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-12-10
By WILLIAM
MEMBER OF THE EXPEDITIONS.
tCopyrighted. 1887, by var Publishing Co, n. T..
and published by arrangement with them
CHAPTER XIV.

terrible chapter in the history of the war.
Attempts to soften the fearful story have
met with slight success. The lot of the
prisoner of war is always deplorable, as
accommodations are scanty and the hard
ships Of camp life greatly aggravated.
But the Union prisoners in the south
suffered more q is usual in military
prisons. The southern states were
slenderly supplied with means for the
care of bodies of troops numbered by
thousands; the northern armies were
pressing severely and tightening the
blockade by sea and land with the express
design Of depriving them of necessaries
for prosecuting the war, and in case of
scarcity it was natural that northern
prisoners would first suffer. But to this
was added a terribly bitter feeling, which
ometimes found delight in gratuitously
embittering the prisoners lot. The hor-
rors of Andersonville cannot soon be
palliated or forgotten.
But the sufferings of ordinary prisoners
was far exceeded in the case Of the An
drews raiders. Our leader had been
trusted by the enemy and had betrayed
them. We had inflicted an amount of
fright altogether disproportionate to our
numbers, aud we were now believed to be
beyond the protection of the laws of war,
and almost beyond the pale of humanity.
1t was thought that we were selected for
Il desperate character and therefore
would require M extraordinary amount
of guarding to prevent us from escaping
Or doing further injury. Such considera-
tious no doubt had weight in the minds
OF our captors.
But these alone are not sufficient to en-
plain the story that follows. 1 nave hest
tated in regard to telling it at all; but
there is at least ono good reason for re-
cording all that the proprietics OF Ian
guage Will permits reason which also
goes far to account for tho full horrors
experienced. Nothing better shows the
spirit OF the institution of slavery, and
the debasing effect il produces on the
master class. Those in whose power we
now fell had been used to seeing men,
women and children publicly sold, whip
ped. hunted with dogs, or shut up like
wild beasts in dens. With such expert
epces they would not be likely to care
much for the sutTerings of enemies, whom
they had come To regard rs the friends OF
the enslaved race. Accordingly it is in
the negro prisons that u band found
their most fearful experiences.
The story Of the little, old, Chattanooga
prison cannot be fully told. Terrible
hardships which had to be lived through
in agonics of shuddering disgust. and in
utterly helpless disregard Of the decencies
of life-a daily and unceasing combine
tiOn Of pain Il l~Oathing-can hardly be
told by one friend to another, much less
spread o n the cold printed a The
reader will remember that for every pain
full thing related, Il dozen more are be-
hind, which dare not be named. Let it
be understood that there is no exaggera-
ton. Photographic accuracy, within the
limits already indicated, is aimed ut.
This worst of all the prisons has long
since been swept away; but its memory
will never grow faint while one of its
hapless victims survives. The story rests
not alone or my evidence, but is estab-
lished by sworn testimony published in
the war records.
The captain, who was appointed my
conductor, called q guard Of eight men
and led me for some distance through the
streets Of Chattanooga Two of the Con-
federate soldiers linked arms with me,
n on each side, two walked in front
and four followed behind. I could not
help telling the captain that they took
better care of Il men than we did OF
theirs; that I had once guarded a Georgian
a long distance without any help, and
with no handouts on him. He did not
resent the implied reproach, only saying
that they meant to make sure of me-! A,
length we came to a little brick building,
surrounded by n high board fence. l!
stood, rs I learned long afterward, on
Lookout street between Fourth and Fifth.
The ground sloped rapidly upward, so that
the back of the Jail was built into the hill
SMILE the front was level with the sur
face CT the ground. The Jail had two
-k,p;o, Vr.,th %,,.- ,a~,, 80 .1-l Azn, -
vas quite high for its length apc breadth
The jailer and family lived in the uppe,
and lower rooms at the north end, anG
the rooms at the south were the prisons
the lower being entered only from til,
upper, and that in turn only from tn
jailer's room. This prison when bull
negroes by their humane owners. An
other and much larger prison, In whicl
were confined the great majority Of whit
offenders and afterward of war prisoners
was situated on Fourth and Marke
streets.
Swims, the %jailer, was a peculiar char
acter. He was old, perhaps GO, witt
abundant white hair. and a dry and with
cred face. His voice was always keyet
on q whining tone, except when SOM
great cause, such ms the requests of pris
oners for an extra bucket of water
aroused his ire, when it rose to q hoars'
scream. Avarice wa a strong trait. H,
seemed to think his accommodation!
vastly too good for negroes and Cyan
KEGS" and that when admitted to hi
hospitality they should be thankful ant
give as little trouble as possible. Will
such notions it is easily seen how muct
he could add to the sufferings Of prison
ers. One thing favorable was that HI
was fond of q dram, and when indulgiul
things that we could not otherwise hav'
learned.
We halted for a moment at the cam
fire of the guard outside the gate; thel
Swtms cane out. grumbling about theil
being disturbed SO much, and, unlocking
the gate, admitted Us. We crossed thu
yard, assembled the long outside stairway
and from en- outside landing entered tn,
bedroom. From this O door opened int
the prison. The o was quite small
square, and entirely destitute of furniture
of any kind except a long ladder, which
lay on the floor. There were five or 81,
old, miserable looking men in the room
whose clothes hung in tatters, and wit
presented a terribly starved, dirty ant
wretched appearance. 1t was a dreadful
place, and I s%huddered ut the idea of tax
ing up.my abode in such a den. But
soon found I was not to lie so highl!
favored, and a little more experience wa
sufficient to make me look almost will
envy upon these old men.
Said the 5ailer to the captain: "Wher,
shall I put him.
Below. ef seusss.' was the p.szy